Page 33 of Iona's Christmas

“We gotta start planning your wedding!” Rosalea shrieked, hugging me tightly.

“Can I get used to being engaged?” I asked.

“Sure! Lindy and I will start organising it,” Rosalea cried. “You’re marrying a chapter president. That means we need to invite all the other presidents.”

I paled at the thought. Holy shit.

Rosalea and Lindy both giggled at my expression.

“You didn’t consider that, did you?” Lindy asked.

“No,” I gulped.

“Start considering it.” Rosalea laughed.

“Is it too late to say no?” I demanded, looking up into Warden’s face.

“Yeah, babe. You said yes, you ain’t wriggling out of it now,” he replied.

“Aww, shit.”

???

Once we’d eaten dessert, Warden made the prospects, and the service guys put everything away and load up the dishwashers. It would take several turns to get everything washed, but it wasn’t a problem. We slumped in front of the big screen as Pipe fiddled around and finally found a movie. A few of the brothers complained, but they didn’t put up too much of a fight.

I looked around the common room. This was what I remembered. Everyone watching a film and relaxing. A couple were messing with their presents. Wyvern had been given a Rubix cube, and he’d made Fists hide the cheat sheet and was now trying to solve it.

Dare was playing on an electronic Sudoku, while Cipher and Spice were playing Battleships. A smile crossed my lips. Today would stay with me forever. When I was old and in my rocking chair, this memory would still be fresh and keep me warm at night. It may not have been everybody’s idea of a wonderful holiday, but for me, it had been. It was days like this that built bonds and created precious memories.

When times got dark, and it seemed there was no light, recalling this day would bring a smile to our faces. Because it had been special.

“I hate this damn thing!” Wyvern exclaimed.

Fists chuckled. He’d bought everybody one. I could see a lot of frustration in the future.

“We ought to make a bet, whoever gets it solved first without the cheat sheet,” Dare suggested, and everyone perked up.

“What do we get besides bragging rights?” Warden demanded as he eyed the cube in his pile of presents.

“One hundred bucks each?” Dare challenged. There was a glint in her eye.

“There’s thirty-two of us, not including Fists, and including the prospects, Lindy, Iona, Rosalea, Cécile, and Etienne. Nice little bet to make,” Warden replied with a sparkle in his eyes.

“Done,” a chorus of voices agreed, and they all dived for their piles.

Before they could start, Fists messed, everyone’s neat cube up and then confiscated their cheat sheets. He counted down on a timer and yelled start.

I kept an eye on Dare and Warden. My gut informed me they were up to something. Warden and Dare were furiously twisting their cubes. And then I remembered. Warden had sworn to beat this as a challenge when he was a teenager. And clearly, by the way, Dare’s fingers were moving, she’d done the same. Everyone put their cubes down with a groan as Warden leapt to his feet, as did Dare.

“Done!” they both crowed.

“Who won?” Lindy demanded.

“I think they both finished at the same time,” Fists answered, looking perplexed.

“They did,” Pipe and I said.

“We’ll share the pot,” Warden suggested to Dare.